Hummers!

Our most frequent avian visitors still seem to be these hummingbirds!  We only have the ruby-throated ones in Missouri, and I'd love to see some of the other colorful little creatures.

When I sit out on the deck in the morning, close to the two feeders near my studio, I'm astounded at how tiny these are!  It's fun to listen to the buzz and whir of their wings and their tiny chittering voices...

When I used to have a regular column in Country Living magazine, I mentioned that I'd never seen a hummingbird's nest.  This delightful old woman sent one to me, that her father had found when she was a little girl.  She said that she was old and passing along her treasures and she couldn't imagine anyone who'd like the nest more.

I can't either.  I treasure it, to this day.  It must be close to 80 years old, now...

Take a peek at Dan Kaiser's wonderful photo, with a penny for scale!  This one has an outer layer of lichen; mine seems to be made of mullein leaves, soft, grayish and fuzzy...